Editor’s Note: This project won Best of Region for New York City in PRINT’s 2017 Regional Design Awards. See all of the winners here, and don’t forget to enter the 2018 Regional Design Awards.
The identity for the 2016 Archtober Festival needed to not only be eye-catching, but smart, too, as it aims to draw a savvy audience to New York City’s annual celebration of architecture and design. Working closely with Archtober visionary Cynthia Krakauer, the esteemed Pentagram linked arms with architecture firm SOFTlab to create a highly effective multimedia campaign.
Although elements like the logo, font and color palette remained the same from previous festivals, this year’s branding took a dynamic turn, as it’s anchored on the mathematical diagram Voronoi tessellation, a honeycomb-like system of irregular polygons that in this instance is generated from six points—as 2016 marked the sixth Archtober.
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The Voronoi tessellation proves both versatile and intriguing as the stand-out design element, bringing to life all the different components, from printed to digital. “This pattern is a gift to designers,” says Pentagram partner Luke Hayman. “It’s a powerful graphic, and combined with our palette, gave us a strong branding tool.
Taking everything one step further, Pentagram and SOFTlab brought the tessellation to life for the Archtober Lounge. The space was very narrow, and due to this constraint, Hayman felt the final results were both unusual and effective, as corrugated cardboard transformed the gallery into a unique—and cost-effective—architectural setting.
As noted on the previous page, RDA judge Pum Lefebure is always looking for projects that carry with them an element of the unforgettable. She found this identity and exhibition space to be a prime example of an exceptionally well-thought-out design. “The project draws me in, and really features an interpretation of science and art,” she says. #gallery-2 { margin: auto; } #gallery-2 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 50%; } #gallery-2 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-2 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */
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The advantages of winning PRINT’s RDA stretch far beyond national recognition. Take a look at the career-boosting prizes up for grabs:
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All winners will see their work in Print’s 365 Days of Design Inspiration, a hardcover book showcasing the best from today’s leading art directors, studios and creative professionals.
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Six entries will be spotlighted as “Best of Region” winners, and receive in-depth coverage within the book.
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Readers will vote for their favorite Best of Region entry, and the Grand Prize Winner will receive a Big Ticket to HOW Design Live, a main-stage trophy presentation celebrating their work, and other exclusive opportunities on-site, i
ncluding a lunch date with a HOW Design Live speaker of their choice* (*pending speaker availability), and an invitation to the official Speaker Reception with industry movers and shakers at HOW Design Live.